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Switzerland to vote on accelerating nuclear power shutdown

The initiative, if passed by the people in a nationwide vote, would require the closing of Beznau I, Switzerland’s oldest nuclear power plant, within one year of the vote.

Public set to vote on phasing out nuclear power, SwissInfo.ch, 16 Nov 12, Members of the Green Party deliver signatures for the initiative to phase out atomic energy (Keystone) The Green Party has collected 109,000 signatures in support of a people’s initiative that would require caps on the lifetimes of existing nuclear power plants in Switzerland and a ban on the construction of new ones. Continue reading →

November 17, 2012 Posted by | politics, Switzerland | 1 Comment

Keep uranium mining ban – Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties

2 statewide groups back Va. uranium ban, CBS News 16 Nov 12 RICHMOND, Va. — Two groupsrepresenting hundreds of Virginia cities, counties and towns are recommending that the General Assembly keep a 30-year ban on uranium mining in place. Continue reading →

November 17, 2012 Posted by | politics, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

As massive sea wall slowly erected, no sign of restart at Japan’s biggest nuclear plant

Four years before Fukushima, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was damaged by an earthquake, triggering a fire and radiation leaks

Japan’s Tepco sees no quick re-start for biggest nuclear plant Planet Ark,  14-Nov-12  Risa Maeda and Aaron Sheldrick Tokyo Electric Power Co sees no imminent resumption of operations at the world’s biggest nuclear plant, shut down after last year’s Fukushima disaster, further raising its costs as it spends more on fossil fuels to generate electricity.

A wall to protect the 8,212-megawatt Kashiwazaki-Kariwa station’s seven reactors against tsunamis will not be finished until June next year, said Shiro Arai, deputy site manager.

“It is too premature to talk about when reactor restarts will happen,” Continue reading →

November 15, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, Japan, politics | Leave a comment

China’s process of change in political leadership – anything but democratic

China’s chosen few get to glimpse behind the curtain, The Age, November 12, 2012, Virginie Magin, Malcolm Moore   “…..in reality, the process has the thinnest veneer of democracy, since the number of places on the Politburo Standing Committee will match the number of candidates put forward..

… Overall, the proceedings at the congress have been carefully choreographed, with delegates chosen to reflect the party’s inclusiveness. In turn, they make speeches praising the party, Mr Hu’s leadership and occasionally themselves, …… http://www.theage.com.au/world/chinas-chosen-few-get-to-glimpse-behind-the-curtain-20121111-296eg.html#ixzz2C2o9sv8s

November 12, 2012 Posted by | China, politics | Leave a comment

International anxiety over A Q Khan’s entry into Pakistan politics

AQ Khan: Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb jumps into politics, Christian Science Monitor 11 Nov 12 AQ Khan, lauded by many Pakistanis for giving the country the bomb, has launched a political movement targeting the youth vote. He has been accused of selling nuclear secrets to North Korea and Iran. By Taha Siddiqui, Correspondent / November 11, 2012 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN 
The father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb has launched a political party, which plans to participate in the next presidential election slated for early 2013. Abdul Qadeer Khan has started a 100-day campaign to tour Pakistan, starting with Kahuta, home to the first nuclear facility in Pakistan, established just outsideIslamabad, during the 1970s.  Continue reading →

November 12, 2012 Posted by | Pakistan, politics | Leave a comment

US military leaders plead Congress to pass Bills against nuclear terrorism

Senate, Grassley must take lead on preventing nuclear terrorism
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/266845-senate-grassley-must-take-lead-on-preventing-nuclear-terrorism By Retired Maj. Gen. Roger R. Blunt (U.S. Army)  – 11/08/12  We need every tool available to prevent nuclear terrorism.

Unfortunately, two treaties that have been awaiting Congressional approval for more than half a decade that will enhance our ability to protect nuclear materials and go after terrorists intent on using them are stalled in Congress. This is unacceptable.

Now that the election is over, one of the first orders of business when Congress returns
should be to get past the bickering and pass these two nonpartisan treaties our military leaders have been pleading for. Continue reading →

November 9, 2012 Posted by | politics, safety, USA | Leave a comment

Japan’s leaders cave in to pressure: will keep nuclear power

Japan’s leaders give up on quitting nuclear power Although Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster set much of the public against nuclear power, politicians are not convinced. Christian Science Momitor By Gavin Blair, Correspondent / November 5, 2012 TOKYO In mid-September, Japan said it would close all 50 of its nuclear reactors by “the end of the 2030s.”

Days later, the administration backtracked in the  face of opposition from the main business lobby and some senior lawmakers in Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s own Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Although the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has profoundly increased the public’s antipathy toward nuclear power, politicians have yet to be convinced.

“The majority of Japanese people are now against nuclear power, but none of the major political parties are listening to them,” Continue reading →

November 6, 2012 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Fossil fuel lobby American Legislative Exchange Council aims to kill renewable energy

  Twenty-nine states have adopted renewable standards, and several of them were passed under leadership from Republican governors, such as Minnesota’s under Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

the policies still have a good level of bipartisan support.

 American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC)’s proposal is “out to do one thing, and that’s to maximize the profits of fossil fuel industry and eliminate renewables from competition.

Conservative group seeks to repeal state renewable standards Midwest Energy News,  11/05/2012 by   A highly influential conservative policy group with strong ties to the fossil fuel industry plans to make repealing state renewable policies a “high priority” in the coming year, potentially raising the stakes for legislative elections across the country. Continue reading →

November 6, 2012 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

How the UK’s new nuclear deal with Hitachi just can’t really work

Another shotgun wedding for the UK nuclear lobby daryanenergyblog  November 3, 2012 “…….There is a proposal in Japan for a referendum on Nuclear energy with three options on the table . Option one is 30% of Japanese electricity from nuclear (essentially business as usual but with a cap on future nuclear growth). Option two is 15% (many older reactors near fault lines closed, some new reactors later but only as a replacement for plants taken out of service and not on a like for like basis) and option three is 0% (a phase out of nuclear energy completely, which as I’ve previously shown is feasible). The Japanese government seems to favour the middle option but opinion polls suggest that it might be the zero nuclear option. Either of these last two would mean a massive cut in nuclear reactor orders in Japan, if not a complete halt.

So naturally Hitachi are having to hedge their bets and look overseas for buyers of their wares. This would explain the choice of reactors. While previously the Horizon deal had focused on French or American designed PWR‘s (Pressurised Water Reactor), Hitachi seem to be keen on BWR‘s (Boiling Water Reactor), notably their own brand ABWR reactoror the as of yet untested ESBWR. However, these reactors have never been certified for use in the UK. It will take a few years to get that paper work cleared and redesign the reactors as required. There have also been some technical problems with the ABWR‘swhich has led to them providing a much lower level than expected level of reliability and on-grid availability (as this table from the IAEA illustrates).

Also, the UK engineering firms will need time to plan for this change in reactor. While thebulk of reactor cores world wide might well come from the Japanese Steel Works (JSW) on Hokkaido Island, the majority of any UK based ABWR (the steam turbines, heat exchangers and auxiliary equipment) will be build by other contractors many here in the UK, notably companies such as Forgemasters and Rolls Royce. They need to be given time to retool and book spots on the production line before any plant can be built. Also there is a waiting list in JSW and by switching reactor types the UK may have just lost its place in the queue.

A Looming Energy Gap

This will explain why Hitachi are talking about a delivery date of the first new plant in the mid to early 2020′s. However, by this date the UK nuclear fleet will be down to between 1 and 3 reactors (Torness and Heysham retire in 2023, further Torness is in Scotland which may not be part of the UK by that date!) and a capacity of between 1,200 – 3,700 MW, from a present capacity of 10,500 MW and a former peak of 14,000 MW. While Hitachi seem to be proposing 6 reactors, it will take at least a decade or two (or three!) to bring this capacity online and even 6 ABWR’s would still fall well short of the historical maximum installed capacity (about 40% short in fact)……  http://daryanenergyblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/shotgun-wedding-hitachi-uk-nuclear/

November 5, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, politics, UK | Leave a comment

Japan’s nuclear watchdog members funded by nuclear industry

Atomic industry bankrolls Japan’s nuclear watchdog RT 04 November, 2012 Members of Japan’s nuclear watchdog who are charged with drafting nuclear safety rules have received sizable funds from the atomic industry. The reports raise concerns that regulations may be diluted after last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster. Continue reading →

November 5, 2012 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Taiwan legislators want end to nuclear power

Legislators call for nuclear plant conversion
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/11/05/2003546939 By Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) and Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥) yesterday urged the government to replace nuclear
power with liquified natural gas (LNG) and to halt the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) in a bid to prevent nuclear disaster. Continue reading →

November 5, 2012 Posted by | politics, Taiwan | Leave a comment

Germany’s nuclear shutdown has brought economic and environmental benefits

“Probable Game-Changer”: Special issue of Bulletin of Atomic Scientists shows exiting nuclear power brings economic and environmental benefits — ‘Startling’ findings http://enenews.com/game-changer-special-issue-of-bulletin-of-atomic-scientists-shows-exiting-nuclear-power-brings-economic-and-environmental-benefits-startling-findings
November 1st, 2012 
 Title: Bulletin: German nuclear exit delivers economic, environmental benefits
Source: Phys.org
Date: November 1, 2012

[…] Forbes.com went as far as to ask, in a headline, whether [Germany’s exit from nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster] was “Insane—or Just Plain Stupid.”

But a special issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE, “The German Nuclear Exit,” shows that the nuclear shutdown and an accompanying move toward renewable energy are already yielding measurable economic and environmental benefits, with one top expert calling the German phase-out a probable game-changer for the nuclear industry worldwide. […]

Freie Universität Berlin politics professor Miranda Schreurs says the nuclear phase-out and accompanying shift to renewable energy have brought financial benefits to farmers, investors, and small business;

Felix Matthes of the Institute for Applied Ecology in Berlin concludes the phase-out will have only small and temporary effects on electricity prices and the German economy;

University of Kassel legal experts Alexander Rossnagel and Anja Hentschel explain why electric utilities are unlikely to succeed in suing the government […]

Lutz Mez, co-founder of Freie Universitӓt Berlin’s Environmental Policy Research Center, presents what may be the most startling finding of all. […] “It has actually decoupled energy from economic growth, with the country’s energy supply and carbon-dioxide emissions dropping from 1990 to 2011, even as its gross domestic product rose by 36 percent.”
Germany produces 50% of energy from solar during mid-day hours — ‘Equivalent to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity without any radioactive waste left over’

November 3, 2012 Posted by | Germany, politics | Leave a comment

Ameren, Westinghouse hanging out for money for those dud mini nuclear reactors

a bigger question is whether small-scale nuclear can compete economically, particularly in a world of relatively inexpensive natural gas.

Ameren, Westinghouse still waiting for decision on nuclear grant MENAFN – –     Nov 02, 2012–-It was six months ago that Ameren Missouri and Westinghouse officials joined Gov. Jay Nixon on the lawn of the governor’s mansion to announce plans to pursue a first-of-its-kind mini nuclear reactor that would be built next to the utility’s Callaway plant.

The effort had bipartisan political support. Other Missouri electricity suppliers were on board, as well as the state’s university system. Everything seemed in place — almost.

The whole plan hinged on getting at least a share of a 452 million federal grant to advance commercialization of next-generation nuclear technology.

Today, a month after the Department of Energy was supposed to announce who would share the federal money, Ameren and Westinghouse are still waiting. And with the presidential election just days away, heightened scrutiny of energy technology subsidies, a growing budget deficit and a potential change in administrations are looming.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said applications are still under review. She didn’t say when a decision would be made. The companies have reason to be anxious. Continue reading →

November 3, 2012 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Call to end USA’s nuclear tax credit

Why should nuclear power’s tax credit last more than a decade, when wind power’s tax credit must be renewed every couple of years? That makes no sense. Why should dangerous, dirty and expensive nuclear power receive that kind of support from taxpayers at all? It shouldn’t.

Act now: Support wind power; end the nuclear tax credit, 2 Nov 12
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12063
Nuclear Information and Resource Service November 2, 2012 Regardless of what happens in next week’s election, afterwards the current Congress is going to meet in a lame duck session and try to grapple with major federal tax, budget, jobs, and deficit issues. And they’re going to be looking for savings—both real and imagined—wherever they possibly can.

We’ve got an easy way for Congress to support tens of thousands of American jobs, and to reduce future budget deficits by billions of dollars. And our plan will also help prevent radioactive poisoning of our nation while building a nuclear-free, carbon-free energy future.

Tell Congress : End the nuclear power tax credit, renew the wind tax credit! Continue reading →

November 3, 2012 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

India’s Attorney General not happy about waiving nuclear liability law for Russian nuclear reactors

‘Why nuclear liability waiver for Russian company’ Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN | Nov 1, 2012 NEW DELHI: Attorney general G E Vahanvati has reservations over the ministry of external affairs’ backing for grant of a nuclear liability law waiver to the Russian
manufacturer for Units 3 and 4 of Kudankulam nuclear power plant on the ground that while this could be legal under a 2008 inter-governmental agreement, it might not be prudent. Continue reading →

November 1, 2012 Posted by | India, Legal, politics, politics international | Leave a comment

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